Car truck



e. AQANDERSON.

CAR TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1921.

1,414,920, Patented May 2,1922;

STATES GUSTAF ABVID ANDERSON, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE'1. H. SYMINGTON COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

CAR TRUCK.

amaze.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1922.

To aZZ whom it may can 06TH Be it known that l, GUs'rAr Anvil) ANDER-SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the Stateof Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CarTrucks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it eppertains to make and use the same.-

i y invention relates to trucks for railway cars and particularly to aform of flexible truck having side frame members whose relativelongitudinal displacement from normal or square position is controlledby spring means tending to return the side frames toward normalrelation. More particularly the invention is concerned with a truckstructure of the character indicated in which the spring means forcontrolling longitudinal movements of the side frames is simple inconstruction, efficient in operation and well adapted either to opposelongitudinal displacement of the side frame members from normal positionthroughout a portion only of such displacement, as is preferred, orcontinuously to oppose said displacementthroughout its full extent. Ineither case the initial resistance offered by the spring means inopposition to the longitudinal movements of the side frame members maybe made as great as desired since the spring means is constructed in amanner which readily allows the springs thereof to be assembled under aninitial compression. The particular embodiment of the inventionillustrated in the drawing is an advantageous one in that the springmeans by which relative longitudinal movements of the side frames areregulated is well adapted to serve with truck side frame members ofvarious designs now in use.

One of the principal features of my in vention, generally stated,consists in controlling the relative longitudinal movement of the truckside frames by spring means which are spaced from the respectiveframeconsists in providing means for yieldingly resisting relativelongitudinal displacement of the truck side frame members from normalposition with a plurality of springs which are spaced longitudinally ofthe truck and are dissimultaneously compressible transversely thereof.

There are other features of the invention relating to details ofelemental construction and particular combinations of parts, all as willhereinafter appear.

In the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of theinvention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims,

Figure 1 is a view, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, ofa car truck containing the invention, the bolster, which is of the typecommonly employed in flexible trucks, being omitted and the truck partsbeing shown in a position such as they assume when the truck passesaround a curve.

Figure 2 is a detail view, partly in plan and partly in horizontalsection, showing the relation of the spring means to the crossconnecting member of the truck and one of the side frames, the partsbeing in normal position.

Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2, the cross connectingmeans of the truck and the plunger or operating member for one of thesprings being in elevation.

Figure 4 is a detail section on the line i4, Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a detail view, partly in plan and partly in horizontalsection, of a modified form of my invention showing the spring means asnormally contacting with the side frame members.

' In the drawings, 1 indicates transversely spaced side frame memberswhich are relatively movable longitudinally of the truck. Each sideframe is provided at its opposite ends with journal boxes 2 receeivingthe journal ends of the axles 3 upon which the wheels 4 of the truck aremounted:

The side frame members 1 are inovably connected across the truck bysuitable connecting means 5 which may conveniently constitute a truckspring plank. hen constructed as a spring plank the opposite ends of thecross connecting means 5 may extend into the respective bolster openings6 of the side frames and there be pivotally connected to said frames 1.The pivotal connection of the spring plank with the side frames may besimply effected by providing each side frame centrally of its bolsteropening with an up wardly projecting pivot boss 7 which 6X- tends into acorresponding pivot opening 8 0f the spring plank. Sufficient clearanceis provided between the sides of the spring plank 5 and the neighboringfaces of the columns 9 of the side frames to allow the spring plank toturn freely through an angle correspondin to the maximum relativelongitudinal displacement from normal which it is desired that said sideframes 1 shall have. As is usual in flexible trucks the truck bolsteralso has sufiicient clearance from the truck columns-9 to permit it toangle horizontally without binding upon the latter when the side frames1 are displaced longitudinally to their full eXtent from squarerelation.

A plurality of yielding means 10 may advantageously be employed forresisting longitudinal displacements of the side frame members away fromtheir square relation, said means being preferably wholly mounted uponthe spring plank 5 adjacent their respective side frames 1 and in spacedrelation transversely of the truck. While such is the preferredconstruction it is apparent that a single spring means may be employedif desired to resist relative longitudinal displace ment of the sideframes away from squar relation and to effect their relativelongitudinal movement'toward normal position.

Each spring means 10 for resisting displacement of the side framemembers from normal preferably comprises a housing 11 riveted to thespring plank 5 and having a plurality of parallel longitudinally spacedspring pockets 12 which extend transversely of the truck andrespectively receive springs 13. The walls 14 and 15 of the springpockets form abutments for the springs 13 which are adapted to beenergized by reciprocating plungers 16 whose stems extend throughapertures 17 in the outer walls 15 of the housing and Whose heads orfollowers 18 bear against the ends of the respective springs 13. In bothembodiments of my in vention the springs 13 are preferably forced intothe pockets 12 so as to place the springs under an initial compression.In the modified form of construction shown in Fig. 5 the initialcompression of the springs is preferably augmented in assembling theside frames with the cross connection 5 so as to force the plunger heads18 inwardly from the adjacent abutments 15. This additional compressionof the springs 13 automatically compensates for wear upon thereciprocating plungers 16.

While, as illustrated in the modified con struction shown in Fig. 5, thestems of the plungers 16 may be of a length sufiicient to enable them toengage the adjacent side ram 1 that the r k Par s ar in an e lvposition, it is preferred, as is shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, to make thestems of the reciprocating plungers of Such length that they stand inspaced relation to and a short distance from the proximate side framemem ber 1 when the truck is in square. This not only relieves the endsof the plungers 16 from wear due to frequent but inconsequentialdisplacements of the side frames from normal position but also byallowing a small unrestrained displacement of the side frames fromnormal prolongs the life of the spring mechanisms 10.

When a truck such as hereinbefore described passes around a curve thetrack resistance applied to it causes a relative displacement of theside frames 1 longitudinally so that the truck is thrown out of square.l/Vhen this displacement of the frame members has proceeded suiiicientlyto cause the spring plank 5 to be returned through an angle large enoughto bring the end of one of the reciprocating plungers 16 into engagementwith the neighboring side frame, further relative movement of the framemembers in an outof square direction causes those plungers which are inengage ment with the side frames to move transversely of the truck,thus, through their re spect-ive plunger heads or followers 18compressing the springs 13 with which they severally cooperate. Thesprings 13 of each of the yielding means 10 are dissimultaneouslyenergized, that is to say, one of said springs is compressed when theadjacent side frame moves in one direction from normal while the otherspring is similarly compressed upon movement of the side frame in the opposite direction.

In the modified form of construction illus trated in Fig. 5 the springs13 of each yielding unit 10 are likewise independently anddissimultaneously energized. but unlike the case of the constructionshown in the principal figures of the drawing, the compression of one orthe other of these springs takes place immediately upon the side framemembers 1 moving from their square relation.

I claim 1. In a car truck, the combination with side frame members whichare relatively movable longitudinally of the truck, of means for movablyconnecting said side frame members. and means for yieldingly resistingrelative longitudinal displacement of said side frame members fromnormal position throughout a portion only of said displacement fromnormal.

2. In a car truck, the combination with spaced side frame members whichare relatively movable longitudinally of the truck, of means extendingtransversely of the truck for connecting said side frame members, andmeans mounted on said connecting means and adapted to permit freerelative lengit'udinal movement of either side frame froi'n normalposition for a predetermined distance and to oppose resistance tofurther displacement from normal position of either side frame.

3. In a-car truck, the combination with side frame members which arerelatively movable longitudinally of the truck, of means for movablyconnecting said side frame members, and spring means adapted to resistrelative longitudinal displacement of said side frame members, saidspring means being spaced from one of said side frame members when saidframe members are in square relation but being adapted to engage and toresist longitudinal displacement of said frame member when the latterhas been displaced a predetermined distance longitudinally of the truckfrom normal position.

4. In a car truck, the combination with transversely spaced side framemembers which are relatively movable longitudinally of the truck, ofmeans pivotally connected at its opposite ends to said side framemembers, and means carried by said truck and adapted yieldingly tooppose relative displacement of either of said frame members, saidyielding means being normally spaced from one of the side frame membersand being adapted to exert pressure upon the latter when the anglebetween said side frame member and said connecting means exceeds apredetermined amount.

5. In a car truck, the combination with side frame members which arerelatively movable longitudinally of the truck, of a member movablyconnecting said side frame members, and spring means adapted to resistrelative longitudinal displacement of said side frame members, saidspring means being mounted upon one of said members and normally beingspaced from another of said members and being active to oppose rela tivelongitudinal displacement of said side frame members from normalposition only after a predetermined relative longitudinal displacementof said side frame members.

6. In a car truck, the combination with side frame members which arerelatively movable longitudinally of the truck, of means for movablyconnecting said side frame members, and means for yieldingly resistingrelative longitudinal displacement of said side frame members fromnormal position throughout a portion only of said displacement fromnormal, said last named means involving a plurality of longitudinallyspaced parallel springs each of which is independently compressible.

7. In a car truck, the combination with side frame members which arerelatively movable longitudinally of the truck, of means for movablyconnecting said side frame members, and means for yieldingly resistingrelative longitudinal displacement of said side frame members fromnormal position throughout a portion only of said displace ment fromnormal, said last named means involving a spring extending transverselyof the truck and cr'nnpressible upon a relative longitudinaldisplacement of said side frame members away from normal position.

8. In a car truck, the combination with side frame members which arerelatively I movable knigitudinally o f the truck, of means for movablyconnecting said side frame members, and means for yieldingly resistingrelative longitudinal displacement of said side frame members away fromnormal position, said last named means involving a plurality ofdissimultaneously compressible spaced springs extending transversely ofthe truck, and a spring abutment member having pockets adaptedrespectively to receive said springs.

9. In a car truck, the combination with side frame members which arerelatively movable longitudinally of the truck, of means for movablyconnecting said side frame members, and means for yieldingly resistingrelative longitudinal displacement of said side frame members away fromnormal position, said last named means involving spring abutment meanshaving a plurality of pockets, a plurality of springs respectivelyarranged in said pockets, and a plurality of reciprocating memberscorresponding to said springs and adapted to energize the latter.

10. In a car truck, the combination with side frame members which arerelatively movable longitudinally of the truck, of means for movablyconnecting said side frame members, and means for yieldingly resistingrelative longitudinal displacement of said side frame members away fromnormal position, said last named means being mounted upon saidconnecting means and involving a spring abutment member having aplurality of pockets, a plurality of springs respectively arranged insaid pockets, and a plurality of spring actuating members movablymounted upon said abutment member and extending toward one of said sideframe members and adapted to actuate said springs.

11. In a car truck, the combination with side frame members which arerelatively movable longitudinally of the truck, of a spring plankpivotally connected at its opposite ends to said side frame members, anda plurality of means for yieldingly resisting relative longitudinaldisplacement of said side frame members away from normal positionthroughout a portion only of said displacement from normal, each of saidmeans being wholly mounted on said spring plank adjacent a correspondingone of said side frame members and including a spring and meansoperatively interposed between said spring and the adjacent side framemember for energizing said spring by a longitudinal displacement of saidside frame from normal position.

12. In a car truck the combination With a plurality of side framemembers which are relatively movable longitudinally of the truck, of aspring plank pivotally connected at its opposite ends to said side framemembers, and a plurality of means for yieldingly resisting relativelongitudinal displacement of said side frame members away from normalposition, each of said means being mounted upon said spring plankadjacent a corresponding one of said side frame members and including aspring abutment member having a plurality of spaced pockets, a pluralityof transversely extending springs respectively arranged in said pockets,and a plurality of reciprocating members corresponding to said springsand. movably mounted on said abutment member and extending toward theadjacent side frame member and adapted to be actuated by the latter.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GUSTAF ARVID ANDERSON.

